Good News For San Francisco

So I've been browsing Craig's List and it looks like Canadian retailer Aritzia is coming to San Francisco! They already have a store in the San Jose area, which I wish I had known about when I was there last month. I shopped at Aritzia when I went to Vancouver on vacation, and although I didn't buy anything, I'm excited about this news. If you're not familiar with Aritzia, they're a little bit like Planet Funk or Metropark in southern California. They sell a wide variety of trendy designer denim, fun tops, and stylish apparel geared toward fashion-conscious twenty and thirty-somethings.

By the way, I'll be back in San Francisco next week, and I hope to do some great winter sale/pre-spring shopping! I welcome any suggestions for great restaurants and ultra lounges in Union Square or Soma.

Affordable Spring '08 Trends & Where To Buy Them

I've scoured my favorite shopping sites to bring you my favorite picks for 3 of the hottest spring '08 fashion trends. I know it can be hard to get excited about lightweight dresses, flimsy sandals, and other warm weather attire when it's downright cold outside! Lucky for me, the sun is shining today and I was inspired to do some spring shopping research.

First up is the 1970s hippie revival. This trend seems to reappear quite frequently, and fortunately, I still have a few handmade peasant tops that I picked up while on vacation in Mexico in the summer of '05. I also have a great peasant skirt with embroidery from Urban Outfitters that could double as a tube dress whe the weather warms up. Pictured above:

1. Sam & Max embroidered dress, Nordstrom, $44

2. Beaded necklace, Forever 21, $10.80

3. Ribbon floppy hat, Forever 21, $9.80

4. Steven by Steve Madden 'Insist' ankle boot, Nordstrom, $148.95

Ombre has been making a slow comeback for a couple of seasons, and now the trend has trickled down to the mass market. Too bad I just donated a gauzy pink ombre top from Esprit that I bought about 7 seven years ago. In fashion, what goes around comes around, so sometimes it's good to hold on to things! Pictured above:

1. Twilight blues ombre cardigan, Urban Outfitters, $19.99

2. Lux Twilight dress, Urban Outfitters, $78

3. Faded V-neck tunic, Forever 21, $22.80

A carryover from fall, the menswear trend picks up strength for spring in the form of tailored pumps, crisp blouses, fitted vests, and wide-leg trousers. Pictured above:

1. Striped tuxedo shirt, Bebe, $69

2. Miley patent leather pump, Bebe, $149

Another important trend this spring will be safari-inspired details. It seems that Old Navy has caught on to this and currently has some great woven blouses and skirts on their website that exhibit this trend in an understated and elegant way.

Photo credit: Forever21.com, nordstrom.com, bebe.com, urbn.com

Go See My Favorite New Band!

Mighty Six Ninety, my favorite new band, is doing a show at the Key Club in L.A. on Tuesday!!!!

I Want To Know

What is your favorite spring trend?

• Sheer layers/transparent garments
• Menswear suits
• 1970's hippie styles
• Neon brights and bold hues
• Florals - painterly, dainty, or abstract
• Tribal/ethnic prints
• Painterly art inspiration
• Shirtdresses
• Ombre
• Tennis-inspired looks

Let me know by leaving a comment!

F21 For Under $25

There's a $25 Forever 21 gift card burning a hole in my wallet right now. It's been there for a few weeks, and with Valentine's Day around the corner, there are plenty of things I can think of buying. Sometimes $25 can go a long way! Hmmm, let's see. I could buy: a cute dress or a diaphonous top for dinner, perhaps...or a few pendant necklaces and inexpensive rings...or some girly underpinnings. Here are 3 picks that I'm seriously considering.

1. Railroad stripe corset $15.80

2. Satin boyshort with lace trim $4.80

3. Plastic rosebud ring $2.80

Photos from forever21.com

More San Francisco Shopping - Union Street

While I do enjoy roaming around Union Square in San Francisco, my favorite shopping area is by far Union Street between Steiner and Octavia Streets. This area, which is known as the Union Street shops, is best describes as an upscale, charming neighborhood with great apparel boutiques, coffee shops, florists, jewelry boutiques, and plenty of other places to entertain yourself. This time around I discovered a great store called Sumbody, which has all natural and eco-friendly beauty care items. As I was buying some astringent, the sales girl informed me that they have a location in Santa Barbara (at 920 State Street), so I'm definitely going to check that out. Last year I enjoyed an amazing Italian dinner at Capaninna (the red building pictured below). I highly recommend it for anyone who visits Union Street. For a complete listing of all the businesses located on Union Street, click here.

Click the photos to enlarge.

Amazingly enough, I didn't buy anything, although I browsed the racks at Ambiance, LF, Bebe, and a great antique store which I cannot remember the name of. For margarita lovers, I recommend Left At Albuquerque (there's a location in Santa Barbara as well). For denim lovers, the Blue Jean Bar has an extensive selection of popular labels in a bar-like setup. During my visit to Union Street, I had lunch at La Boulange (the blue building pictured above in the center), which seemed to be quite the popular place for coffee, pastries, and massive sandwiches and salads. After my late lunch it was time to head back to my hotel in Union Square to start getting ready for a night of partying, as it was Friday. I'll have more on that later...

More San Francisco Shopping

My trip to Nordstrom in San Francisco Centre was worthwhile, as I bought two wool jackets and two metallic clutches. Pictured below is one of the jackets in red. I liked it so much that I bought it in deep purple as well. I guess seeing so many people in the city wearing black inspired me to add some cheerful color to my winter wardrobe. Interestingly enough, the color red is thought to increase the heart rate and catch people's attention. I paired the red jacket with my new purple skinnies from American Apparel (which were purchased at the Union Street location). The giraffe print peep-toe pumps I'm wearing are actually from Target. Yes, Target! I think they could easily pass for $300 shoes. I went to the Target in Cupertino, California on the way home and was quite impressed. It was much nicer than the ones in my area. The selection of shoes was so much better!

I can't get enough of the tuxedo trend this season, and this tuxedo jacket I'm wearing below was only $25 at H&M. It has slightly padded shoulders and nice tailoring considering the low price point.

I know that I had previously written that I tried on Erin Fetherston's red silk babydoll dress and thought it was too flashy. Well it must have grown on me seeing it on the racks so many times. I guess it wasn't a popular seller because most Target stores I have visited had plenty in stock. I scored this one on sale for about $30! It's a great party dress, and I could also wear it around Valentine's day if I so desire. In order to make it look less juvenile and more sophisticated, I paired it with my animal print pumps, my vintage-style pocket watch necklace, and a metallic clutch. I have a sequin beret that will top off the look as well (not pictured due to my modesty).

Below is my beloved new tuxedo strapless dress, my coat of arms necklace, and my new Loeffler Randall for Target metallic bow handbag. I'm going to have to disagree with the LA Times Image section, in which Erin Weinger described the line's rose gold metallic finish as "straight out of a mall kiosk." On the contrary, I thought the rose gold color was fresher than the ivory and copper metallic hues in the line. I also think the chain link strap and the bow give the handbag a luxe appearance, making it look like it cost more than its $24.99 price tag. What do you think of the line? Have you purchased any of the items?

Most of the time, shopping at any Forever 21 store can easily bring on a headache. Blaring loud mall-store music, hoards of cell phone chatting teens, and endless racks overpiled with merchandise can make me lose my patience. The 3-story F21 flagship on Powell and Market is no exception. The loss prevention alarm probably goes off every 4 minutes, and the line at the cash register on the first floor is usully 20 people deep. I wasn't impressed with the wares this time, but I can usually find items at this flagship that other F21's don't stock, so I always make a point of going there when I'm in town. This time around I emerged with only one item - a very high-waisted pencil skirt in dark denim. Below I styled it with a faux fur cape, a skinny metallic belt, some black slash front pumps from Target, and my new metallic patchwork clutch from Nordstrom. I think the look is very ladylike. When it comes to clutches, I look for one that will fit my PDA, my camera, a compact, 2 lip glosses, and my keys. The average nighttime clutch is just too small! A girl's gotta make sure she has all of her tools!